Tight-lipped Lloyd Makes Appearance

NEW YORK — At 6 feet 7, Graeme Lloyd is hard to miss. But until he showed up in the Marlins clubhouse Monday afternoon, the left-handed reliever had been missing in action since being acquired in last week's deal with the Expos.

Baseball's Basic Agreement allows traded players 72 hours to report to their new employer. Lloyd missed the deadline in the late innings of Sunday afternoon's loss to the Cubs.

"I had some business," said Lloyd, after hugging former Expos and Yankees teammate Tim Raines. "I'm here to do my job now. What do you want me to say?"

Lloyd had plenty to say when he first learned of the trade that reunited him with Marlins first-year owner Jeffrey Loria, who had owned the Expos when he signed Lloyd to a three-year, $9 million contract. The $2 million deferred bonus in Lloyd's contract already has been paid by the Expos.

"I'd rather be here [in Montreal] than there," Lloyd told reporters after hearing of the trade. "I've been lied to by [Loria] once or twice. I don't want to get lied to again."

Lloyd (2-3, 5.87 ERA) didn't expand on his accusations. He previously thought that the Marlins were on his 12-team, no-trade list. The Expos said he missed a filing date and forfeited that right.

"I'm not angry," Lloyd said. "I'm here."

Loria attended Monday's game but didn't speak to reporters, choosing to deflect questions to Marlins President David Samson.

"He's inquisitive," Samson said of Loria's reaction to the trades. "It's been a crazy week."

There were no immediate plans for Loria or Lloyd to meet.

Lloyd pitched one inning in relief Monday night, allowing one hit while striking out two..

"He told me on the phone that it's just a business," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "He's a gamer."

Lloyd, 35, a free agent after this season, was asked if he thought this would be a temporary stop.

"Who knows? Ask them. I don't know about trades, obviously. I haven't told anybody anything," he said. "Baseball is a fluid business these days."

Checking it twice

At least a few Marlins employees said they received their pay stubs Monday, but when they checked their bank accounts the cash had not shown up.

But Samson insists everyone was paid.

"We paid every employee both on and off the field," Samson said Monday night. "There may have been some computer problems, but there were no cash problems."

Samson denied the Marlins were one of the teams Commissioner Bud Selig referred to last week as being in financial straits.

Players union officials said they hadn't heard of any Marlins players missing a paycheck.

"We haven't heard of any problems, and we have not heard anything that would lead us to believe that the Florida Marlins would have any trouble meeting their payroll," said Greg Bouris, spokesman for the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Samson promised the Marlins are not in any payroll dilemma.

"We have no issues at all," Samson said. "If the team would miss payroll, I can promise the players would be out there talking to their union within five seconds."

Lee moves on

Marlins first baseman Derrek Lee repeated that he'd rather be traded than go through another rebuilding process, but for now it's a dead issue.

"I don't want to talk about it. It's kind of over with. Now, it's time to get back to baseball," Lee said.

Samson informally met with Lee and several other players before the game.

"Derrek is a terrific young man. Players shouldn't be in fear of trades," Samson said. "They need to be excited getting to do what they do out at the park. There's no indication [of a fire sale]. That's not true."

Orange, blue for two

To commemorate their 1986 World Series title, the Mets wore their uniform from that year. The major difference from their current uniform were the stripes down the side of the sleeves and pants. The Marlins donned the 1956 orange and gray Miami Marlins (defunct Triple-A team) uniforms. "It looks like the Mets vs. the Mets," joked pitcher A.J. Burnett. ...

As expected, left-handed reliever Oswaldo Mairena was demoted to Triple-A Calgary to make room for Lloyd. ... Mike Lowell returned to the lineup after missing his first start of the season with a sore, discolored left hip and thigh. He had played in 111 consecutive games. He suffered the injury in the July 6 game against the Mets when he slid into a bat at home plate. ... Shortstop Alex Gonzalez reported no ill effects from his sore left shoulder after playing a doubleheader for Jupiter in the Gulf Coast League. He went 2 for 4. "He felt pretty good and said he's feeling better each day," Torborg said.